Hook and Irons

While scouring the internet and reading a historical essay on the San Diego Fire Department, I found a few photos that caught my eye. The first was a patent drawing By Chief A.B. Cairnes for an Aerial firefighting apparatus:

The second was a photo taken a few years later of the Aerial after it was constructed:

The aerial stayed in service with the San Diego Fire Department for the next fifteen years, and it's inventor, Chief Cairnes served as San Diego's first fire Chief.

Reading through this portion of San Diego's Fire History inspired me to make a design out of the patent drawing. The first obstacle was finding the right person at the San Diego History Museum to propose the collaboration. Next was finding the right graphic designer to make the patent drawing fit a t-shirt but still keep the heart of the original drawing in tact.

The final design is simple and bold. We printed it on three different colored shirts to give them each their own feel.

As with every Hook and Irons design, the purpose is to celebrate the history of the American Fire Service; the achievements and the legacies of those who have come before us with designs that are humble and clean. Much thanks to the San Diego History Museum for being such a great partner on this collaboration and to Chief A.B. Cairnes for his contributions to the American Fire Service.